1. The Technical Field
The present invention is directed to retail product shelving and point-of-purchase displays, in particular such shelving and display structures that are provided with inventory control devices.
2. The Prior Art
Point-of-purchase (“POP”) displays for use in retail environments, are well known in the prior art. Such POP displays have been fabricated from metal, plastic, paper, paperboard and/or corrugated paperboard, and combinations thereof. In recent times, POP displays fabricated from paper, paperboard and/or corrugated paperboard have become particularly popular, in terms of weight, collapsibility, transportability, cost, and recyclability.
Traditional POP displays have required periodic physical inspection and monitoring, to ensure that the POP display is always filled with product and/or that the POP display, once it has served its purpose, is removed and disposed of in a suitable manner. It would be desirable to provide a way to reduce or eliminate the need for periodic physical, in-person, inspection of POP displays, so that the POP displays need to be visited only when it is known that the POP displays must be refilled or removed.
So-called “Smart Shelves” are known to exist, which are permanently installed (usually plastic or metal), hard-wired (to hide the wiring and electronics) structures.
In addition, shelves have been produced with are provided with electronic/radio controlled shelf labels. However, while the individual products may bear RFID tags, the transmitter/receivers that communicate with such tags are not in the shelves themselves, but are typically centrally located in or spatially distributed throughout the retail space, separate and apart from the shelve structures themselves.
The following references disclose various shelving and/or RFID product tracking and inventory control schemes.
Stevens et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,291 discloses RF communications systems, specifically for RF based electronic shelf edge information displays. Stevens et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,756. This is a division of the above '291 patent, and thus has the same disclosure.
Stevens et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,586 discloses RF based electronic shelf edge information displays.
Takemoto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,050 discloses an article control system, with matrix sensors positioned on the upper surfaces of a display stand, that generate magnetic fields that interact with magnetic labels on articles placed on the stand.
Escritt et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,282 discloses an electronic shelf edge price display system.
Nekomoto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,525 discloses an electronic shelf tag scheme.
Cowe et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,362 discloses an inventory control system, incorporating shelves having arrays or grids of sensors thereon. Each shelf or group of shelves has an associated transmitter, for communicating to a remote location the status of the articles disposed on the shelves. The articles may include RFID labels.
Giordano, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,622 discloses an electronic display module mounted on a shelf rail or a method of mounting such a display module.
French, U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,742 is directed to an RF-based gaming chip tracking system, in which RFID devices are embedded in the gaming chips.
Hughes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,261 is directed to an RFID based tracking system for a retail environment, incorporating a central transmitter, several widely spaced apart locating receivers, and individual tags on individual retail items. The system is capable of locating and providing an image of the tags on a two- or three-dimensional basis.
Issacman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,527 discloses a system for locating and tracking items, such as file folders in an office. Individual file folders are provided with RFID tags. Local exciters communicate with the tags, which in turn communicate with a main or host transmitter/computer.
Maynard, U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,335 is directed to RFID tagging systems for computer network assets.
Bowers et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,963,134 is directed to an article (or library) inventory control system, including; 1) a storage area, an article return area, an interrogation zone and a collection bin; and/or 2) a mobile interrogator; and/or 3) first and second interrogators; and/or 4) video monitoring of a checkout area.
Lin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,875 discloses a file inventory control system, in which file folders are provided with RF responsive tags, responsive to a remote RF generator. The file drawers have visual indicators to assist in indicating that a file in that drawer is responding to a generated signal.
Rojas et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,078 discloses a system for locating weight lifting implements, in which a rack is provided with individualized slots with RFID tags, that communicate with RFID tags on the weights. Misplacement of the weights produces an indication by a monitoring system in the form of a visible or audible signal.
Herman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,367 discloses a two way wireless communication system for shelf labels. The system incorporates one or more transceivers and a plurality of tag receivers/reflectors.
Brady et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,121,878 is directed to an RFID tag-based system for controlling assets, such as articles for sale.
Issacman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,127,928 is a continuation of the aforementioned '527 patent and thus has the same disclosure.
Bowers et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,006 B1 discloses an RFID tag based inventory system, such as for a library.
DeVolpi, U.S. Pat. No. 6,198,391 B1 discloses a retail security system, in which individual articles are secured to display racks with tags that must be severed or released to permit removal of the articles from the racks. The tags appear to be hard-wired electrical contacts.
Yarin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,999 B1 discloses a system for monitoring the removal and replacement of medicine containers in a medication distribution tray (“smart tray”). The containers are provided with electromagnetic tags. In addition, the tray has an RF array built into it. The tray can then communicate to remotely located appliances or a computer.
Stephens et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,782 B1 is directed to an unattended item delivery system, incorporating an article to be transported which has a transponder associated with it; an enclosure having a locking mechanism, and a transponder that is connected to the locking mechanism and is capable of communicating with the article transponder. An external communications device or devices (at the sending and/or drop-off points) may be provided to externally actuate the locking mechanism. Additional surveillance and security features are also disclosed.
Goff et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,335,686 B1 discloses antenna shelf tape for use with items having RFID tags or labels. Although focused on use in libraries, the reference suggests the use of the invention in stores, warehouses, etc.
Rodgers et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,932 discloses a carrier with antenna for RFID identification, in which a plurality of objects having RFID tags can be placed in the carrier, which itself is then passed through a passage lined with further antennas, that forms the actual reader. The antenna in the carrier is intended to improve interrogation and response performance, as well as to potentially provide for the capacity to locate individual articles within the carrier.
Goff et al., U.S. Pub. 2002/0011967. This published application is a divisional application of Goff et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,335,686 B1, and thus has the same disclosure.
Okamura, U.S. Pub. 2002/0014964 discloses the use of electronic tags mounted in a floor, and a movable reader, for addressing storage and inventory issues in a warehouse or storage environment.
Javitt, U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,746 is directed to a method and apparatus for improving signal quality in an electronic shelf label scheme.
Kruger et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,388,630 is directed to a waveguide structure for facilitating the interrogation of individually RFID tagged articles that are stacked on shelves or pallets or the like.
Collins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,392,544 is directed to a shelf inventory apparatus and method, in which antennae are placed on the shelf surfaces, and individual articles are provided with RFID tags. The material and/or manner of construction of the shelves are not specified. The antennas may be fabricated from conductive ink.
Dalton et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,154 discloses an electronic shelf label system, incorporating a main transmitter, a plurality of relay units (antennae) that split the initial signal, and the labels themselves.
Maloney, U.S. Pat. No. 6,424,260 is directed to a mobile object tracking system, such as a key tracking system, including racks for holding individual objects that may be tagged, and an enclosure which monitors the removal and return of the objects and/or the racks.
Porter, U.S. Pat. No. 6,426,699 is directed to a collapsible storage device for the delivery and pickup of goods. The device includes communication equipment to control access to the device, and to provide notification, to a remote location of delivery to or pickup from the device.
Garber et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,448,886 B2 is directed to RFID applications, in particular for libraries.
Terashima et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,473,047 B1 is directed to a method for inventory control of library books, in which individual books bear RFID labels, and are passed through an antenna loop formed in an open-topped box.
Garber et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,486,780 B1 is directed to RFID applications, in particular for libraries.
Mason, U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,361 is directed to electronic article surveillance (EAS) methods and apparatus, specifically in the environment of a retail self-checkout system.
Nelson, U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,012 is directed to a newspaper rack that monitors the quantity of papers in it, and is provided with the capability of wirelessly transmitting a signal, when servicing is required.
Valiulis et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,539,280 B1 discloses merchandise display racks, including tracks for linearly arranging articles having individual RFID tags. The antennae for receiving signals from the tags are permanently mounted in the store, remote from the racks, or are in hand-held units.
Swartzel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,663 is directed to an electronic product information display system (electronic shelf labels).
In existing retail shelving that has been provided with RFID technology, the shelving is usually intended for permanent installation with its attendant cost, weight, and generally low recyclability. The existing approach is to attempt to integrate the electronics and wiring into conventional shelving displays, which may be time consuming, involving the dismantling of the shelving, inconvenience to the retailer/wholesaler, etc.
Companies that have provided RFID shelf inventory control systems in the past include SAMSys Technologies, Inc., 44 East Beaver Creek Road, Unit 11, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada L4B 1Gb; TAGSYS, 180 Chemin de Saint Lambert, 13821 La Penne sur Huveaunne, France; and Lloyd, Gerstner & Partners, Montvale, N.J. Some portable display systems have been demonstrated, such as by TAGsys.
It would be desirable to provide a low-cost point-of-purchase display that is provided with RFID technology so that it can be supplied in a ready to use condition to a retailer/wholesaler.
It would be desirable to provide such a point-of-purchase display that is fabricated from paper, paperboard, and/or corrugated paperboard.
These and other desirable characteristics of the present invention will become apparent in view of the present specification, including claims, and drawings.